The holidays will soon be upon us, which means one thing: What the hell should I give as gifts? I’m a big supporter of giving books, but instead of picking up some heavy tome that will look nice on a coffee table, but will never be read, I’m here to shed a light on some books that will provide hours of actual enjoyment for the BOOKGASM faithful.
RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE HUNTER by Darwyn Cooke and Richard Stark — I bought this the day it came out this summer and have read it more than a few times. I’m here to convince people who are leery of graphic novels that this is the most faithful adaptation of any Donald E. Westlake/Richard Stark novel. It simply captures the character of Parker perfectly.
There is not a bad thing I could say about it. I mean, early on, Cooke’s artwork in three little panels shows how scary Parker can be. We see a woman in her car who looks at Parker as he passes; then, we see her as though she saw a ghost.
Cooke follows the story of THE HUNTER perfectly, with its setting in 1962. His art is familiar to comic book fans with DC: THE NEW FRONTIER, his groundbreaking take on DC’s Silver Age superheroes. His work really shines in the very limited color selection that he uses for this. If you’re a comic fan, just rush out and get this — not only for you, but any comic-loving friend — if you haven’t already.
But say you have a huge crime fan who has read all the Stark books and has walls of other crime titles, but may not read graphic novels. Pick this up anyway — it’s not only pitch-perfect storytelling, but one of the best graphic novels of the year. Fittingly, the book is dedicated to Westlake, who passed away before this came out. But he was involved early on, giving Cooke total encouragement. Also, this is the first time Westlake actually let someone use the Parker character by name, so you know Cooke knew what he was doing.
ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE by Tony Hawks — Maybe you have a family member or friend who loves nonfiction. I’m someone who used to alternate my reading between fiction and nonfiction, book by book. I’ve read some truly engaging nonfiction, as well as others that work faster than sleeping pills.
The problem with nonfiction is that it often ages as well as open milk. But I’m guessing this 1998 one might have slipped through the cracks. No, this is not Tony Hawk, the legendary skateboarder, but Tony Hawks, the British comedian who made a very stupid bet with his pal during a night of drinking: He wagered that he could hitchhike around Ireland with a fridge. People do a lot of stupid things while drunk. (Case in point: I think I’m the second coming of Elvis and will do a 15-minute version of “American Trilogy,” complete with karate poses.) But I don’t think I would ever think doing what Hawks did.
This is not just a story of him traveling around Irleand with a mini-fridge; it also shows how open and friendly the people he comes in contact with were along the way. True, he was called an eejit (idiot), but those same people were first in line to help out and buy him drinks. Hawks’ humor is accessible to all; he is not the type to throw arcane references for only a select few. (He does make a DOCTOR WHO reference, but he’s British, so it’s to be expected, and it’s a very funny one.)
This book breezes by. Having heard Hawks on more than a few British radio panels, I read the book in his voice throughout. Think of it as a drinker’s version of TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY (yeah, I’ve read Steinbeck), with Charley being a mini-fridge. This is pure fun that won’t tax the mind, and gives a view of a culture that supports the weirder side of life.
MARVEL WESTERNS / SHOWCASE PRESENTS BAT LASH: VOLUME 1 — As you might have guessed from reading this column regularly, I’m a big fan of Westerns, be it movies, books and the occasional issue of JONAH HEX. These two Western collections from the two big comic companies make great companion pieces to each other, so it’s fitting to cover both.
First up is Marvel Comics’ 2006 collection with the super-original title of MARVEL WESTERNS. This book was a total surprise of a read and a fantastic addition for any Western fan. A while back, Marvel put out a series of one-shots with today’s artists and writers tackling some old Marvel Western characters. While I’m not one to pick up single issues anymore, figuring at some point I’ll get the collection, I’m kicking myself for waiting this long.
What you have are reworkings of characters like the Two-Gun Kid, The Gunhawk, The Black Rider and Kid Colt, and they’re just a total blast of fun. But fear not, true believers! It might all take place in the Old West, but there are a few surprises along the dusty trail — mainly, one of the stories’ bad guys is everyone’s favorite shape-changing green aliens.
As an added bonus, this collection also reprints a nice amount of the original stories of these characters, written by Stan Lee with Jack KIrby and Dick Ayers handling the artwork. Closing out MARVEL WESTERNS are bios of every Western character in the Marvel Universe, done in a variety of ways, be it a profile report by one Tony Stark or a letter from one of the characters detailing his exploits. The one real huge laugh I got was the very small reprint art of Captain America as a cowboy — just insane.
If you’re more of a DC fan and you already have the SHOWCASE PRESENTS JONAH HEX, pick up this year’s very slim and very cheap SHOWCASE PRESENTS BAT LASH. Bat Lash has no connection to that other bat figure; he can best be summed up as if Terrence Hill’s spaghetti Westerns were comic books, minus Bud Spencer. Bat Lash is a card sharp and a man who makes plenty of time with the ladies.
The plots entail a variety of people who are out for Bat Lash’s blood for leaving women in the lurch or a card game gone wrong, never really straying from that idea and, to be honest, I would not want it any different. The majority of the stories was written by the master of the silent gag, Sergio Aragonés. Hopefully, DC will revamp this character for today’s audience, but I won’t hold my breath.
Next time: Take it away, Dee Dee Ramone! —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DARWYN COOKE:
• BATMAN: EGO AND OTHER TAILS by Darwyn Cooke
• BATMAN/THE SPIRIT by Darwyn Cooke
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DONALD E. WESTLAKE:
• ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark
• THE AX by Donald E. Westlake
• BANK SHOT by Donald E. Westlake
• THE BUSY BODY by Donald E. Westlake
• COPS AND ROBBERS by Donald E. Westlake
• THE CUTIE by Donald E. Westlake
• DIRTY MONEY by Richard Stark
• GET REAL by Donald E. Westlake
• THE HANDLE by Donald E. Westlake
• THE HOT ROCK by Donald E. Westlake
• THE HUNTER by Richard Stark
• I KNOW A TRICK WORTH TWO OF THAT by Donald E. Westlake
• THE JUGGER by Donald E. Westlake
• KILLING TIME by Donald E. Westlake
• KILLTOWN by Richard Stark
• LEMONS NEVER LIE by Richard Stark
• THE MAN WITH THE GETAWAY FACE by Richard Stark
• THE MOURNER by Donald E. Westlake
• THE OUTFIT by Richard Stark
• PITY HIM AFTERWARDS by Donald E. Westlake
• POINT BLANK by Richard Stark
• THE RARE COIN SCORE by Donald E. Westlake
• THE SCORE by Donald E. Westlake
• THE SEVENTH by Donald E. Westlake
• SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY by Donald E. Westlake
• THE SOUR LEMON SCORE by Richard Stark
• THE SPY IN THE OINTMENT by Donald E. Westlake
• 361 by Donald E. Westlake
• WHAT’S SO FUNNY? by Donald E. Westlake
• WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN? by Donald E. Westlake
Related posts:
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Goodbye, Mr. Westlake
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Life and Crimes
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Now Available on DVD
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Prose & Cons
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Cinemageddon
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Some well intersesting books ther, Bruce. The hawks one looks like a hoot.
Paul I can’t stress how much you hear Hawks as you read the book. The only thing missing is that he never got out to Craggy Island.
I have the Jonah Hex collection on my Christmas list. Saw Bat Lash but didn’t know anything about him. Now, today, as I drive to the comic store to pick up something that just whets my pulpy appetite (Batman/Doc Savage), I might pick up Bat Lash, too.
The Jonah Hex showcase is awesome, but Bat Lash is one that you will fly through and just want more. It’s very funny how Aragones names multiple characters after himself in the stories.
DC already revamped Bat Lash in a four-issue miniseries. They published it a year or two ago but it’s already out as a TPB. The story is by Peter Brandvold and Aragonés and the gorgeous art is by John Severin.
Thanks for the info I was way out of the comic loop for a good few years. That is what happens when your local store you went to for years closes up shop.
Bat is far from a forgotten character at DC. Along with the recent mini series already mentioned, he frequently pops up as a reluctant sidekick in Jonah Hex. If the Hex movie coming out this summer is a success, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the character in the sequel.
I just started reading the revamped Hex and saw that he does indeed pop up early on in the run.